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184
COPENHAGEN.
Chap. XII.
by the name of the father, with son or sen added, and
were only distinguished by their coats of arms.* The
Danish patronymics are singularly short and
undistinguished, and the older the family the uglier they are.
It is not to be wondered at that, on the creation of the
titled nobility, Christian, as well as the individuals
ennobled, were glad to smarten up their names into
something more imposing than those they had received
from their fathers before them. I have copied out
a few from the Armorial, which somewhat struck my
fancy, and give them, chrysalis as they were, and
butterfly as they become :—
Hansen .. .. 1686 becomes Rosenkreutz.
Hassius .. .. 1718 Lillienpalm.
Hansen .. .. 1748 Lilliendal.
Marselius • • 95 Gylden crone.
Meyer .. .. 1721 55 Meyerkrone.
Nielsen .. .. 1679 55 Rosenpalm.
Piper .. 1695 55 Løvencrone.
Pott - - 55 Pottendorff.
Smit .. 1676 Lillienscliiold.
Wesel .. 1716 95 Tordenskiold.
And many others.
It is amusing to see what favour lilies, roses, lions,
crowns, and thunder, enjoy in the newly-selected
appellations.
I do not consider this change of name to have been
an affair of vanity so much as of necessity: it was quite
requisite to strike out something new from the
insupportable confusion arising from the numerous branches
of the same families. In the Danish Armorial I find,
under the head of Nielsen, 19 different coats of arms,
9 distinct families of Andersen, 14 Bagge, 8 Basse, 10
* As late as 1591 many of the nobles are still designated as
Mathisen (Krogenos), Maurisen (Bølle), &c.
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